The rise of fascism in plain sight
Hozan
Veteran
I know the Trump thread was sunk. I know people are shit sick of hearing about Trump...oversaturation etc...but without any drama, what we are witnessing is the rise of fascism in plain sight. Seperating children from parents. Withdrawing the US from the UN council for human rights. Just the latest episodes in the Trump saga. History will not judge Trump kindly or the Republican party who enabled him. The millions who Trump can rely on as his "base" frighten me . They should frighten everyone. Putting ourselves in the the ostrich situation wont make trump go away....neither will sinking threads. The issues are real. The threats are real.
The UK should stop Trump's State Visit in protest.
I hope the many movements in the US can result in trump being voted out in 2020 ( unless he can be impeached before then). Even in 2 years the damage he has done on a global scale is immense. He has empowered racists, homophobes and bigots. He has sown the seed of doubt with "fake news" and "alternative facts". He is a pathological liar.
If people thought he was a novelty and it would soon be over...think again. Trump is attempting a fascist/ authoritarian rise. We need to observe this time carefully as the beginning of it all.
No Trump. No KKK. No fascist USA.
Sink the thread? If you want.
Delete the post? If you want.
Say you are sick about hearing of Trump? If you want.....but what is happening is very real and happening in our time, in plain sight. Even Hitler wasn't as blatant right at the beginning.
This is my last post on NB.
I wish everybody happiness and health and hopefully we will see the end to this "trump chapter" in our history.
Slán libh.
Comments
Buddhist Petition to Stop Separating Immigrant Families
I know many of you aren't from the US, but the above petition's goal just might speak to everyone's sense of compassion.
I think you're right. What's happening here in the US is resembling fascism more and more with each passing day. Our president is emboldening racists and bigots and praising dictators while bashing the press, alienating our allies, and treating non-white immigrants like animals. And it's not just here, similar far-right parties and politicians are gaining popularity and power in Europe, as well. I definitely don't think turning a blind eye is the answer. Trump is joke, but he's a dangerous joke that we're allowing to do this.
It's terrifyingly similar to the rise of fascism in Germany before WW2, insiduous and back slapping, I was chilled by his reaction to guns being arm the teachers, a small instance of utter banal stupidity.
signed.
What would it actually take to stop this guy? I mean, apart from the obvious.....
@federica -- I hesitate (almost) to say, The Second Amendment.
If the Mueller investigation doesn't produce evidence of an impeachable offense, it will be up to the Democrats to elect the right candidate to oppose him, and subsequently conduct a smart and effective campaign. Trump has gone all in, providing those that oppose him with a constant source of ammunition with which to illustrate his incompetence. The difficulty seems to be the possibility that the economy does well. Many people vote with their wallets when they realize no one is watching. Nevermind the fact that the health of the economy is a wave started by the Obama administration after the crisis in 2008.
People will have to vote the right way, and the Democrats can't lose the imporant states again by having a problematic and controversial candidate who is easily villified in the eyes of the white working class
Maybe you should reconsider the "almost" and embrace the "hesitate"
Well, the bottom line is there is very little we can do. Americans voted him in, they will have to get him out somehow. We can be careful about who in our homelands we give support, the populist right is making strides in a number of places.
We could contact local engaged Buddhist organisations and give them of our time and money, if there are any. But political Buddhist organisations are thin on the ground here in Western Europe.
The International Network of Engaged Buddhists
Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women
Ecodharma Centre (Spain)
Buddhist Action Month
Plum Village/Blue Cliff
Buddhist Global Relief
Soka Gakkai International
Here's a list that I found in about 15 minutes. Each group has an international presence and I believe operates in Europe. If they're not close enough to volunteer your time, they will potentially use your money wisely. If nothing else, they all deserve some investigation to increase our sense of compassion and active help.
I’m surrounded by trump voters where I work, not the violent kind. I am certain judging by their silence that they share the frustration that others are feeling.
I just want people to make smarter choices. I don’t think most people voted with a clear conscience.. They just want their petty revenge, but at the cost of losing everything.
Trump's authoritarian personality is what bothers me most about his presidency. I figure bad or harmful policies can be overturned with a different administration. But if he leads us down the road of Russia or China into lifelong dear leaders that goes out the window.
They just want their petty revenge, but at the cost of losing everything.
Truth. And that is how it always begins
I was so relieved to hear on the radio that Trump has done a 180 on the bill about separating kids from their parents. I'm not American and I can never understand first hand having to live in the shit he puts his fellow Americans though daily to "make America great again", but I am Jewish, and I've seen the after effects - to this day and still going - for what Hitler's govt put millions of people, Jewish and non-Jewish, through starting with separating the Jews from society in general and then by separating children from their parents in camps. I lost 14 of my family that way in Auschwitz. I don't care who you are - if you start dehumanising your fellow people by calling them animals, you're an oxygen thief who needs to be stripped of power.
Sorry, this situation makes me emotional for several reasons. Apologies to the OP and all for my outburst.
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I have started a thread on the 'rise of personal compassion' but I need help ... seem to have been hijacked by my own thoughts already ... Is there an easier Buddhism?
I need some form of inoculation against my tendency to confuse noise (external or internal) with importance. Must be time to do some gentle practice ... 
http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/25724/the-rise-of-compassion#latest
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All quoted from the writings of Edmund Burke, Irish political philosopher, Whig politician and statesman.
He knew a thing or two. And it merely proves, particularly when it comes to Power and Politics - 'Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.'
Wow, an Irish Whig is a find, talk about rare avis
thanks for that @federica I am always open to anything that challenges my prejudices 
There is a saying which has been attributed to him, which goes:
In fact, he never said that.
'This is probably the most quoted statement attributed to Burke, and an extraordinary number of variants of it exist, but all without any definite original source.'
I think the Internet is often the home of the misquote! So who did say that originally? It's a good one.
"For Evil to Triumph, it is sufficient that Good men do nothing."
I would have guessed Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, or Captain Picard!
If anyone finds exhaustive investigation into the origin of famous quotes, check this out
Actually, it closely resembles a remark known to have been made by the Utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill, in an address at the University of St. Andrew (1 February 1867):
"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing."
I wonder if sometimes later people quote somebody and then some people don't realize they were using someone else quotation with the result that it gets attributed to a second person in error.
On that particular subject: I'm at a local pub, taking part in a pub quiz: Two teams had tied. Mine and another. The deciding question/tiebreaker was:
Who said: "Youth is wasted on the young"...?
People in my team, in urgent whispers: "Oooh, I know that one! It was Robbie Williams!"
"No it wasn't," I interjected.
"Yes, it was! It's in his song, 'Eternity'!"
"Yeah, " I replied, " But he didn't say it. He was quoting George Bernard Shaw."
Blank faces.
"Trust me, " I insisted, it was G. B. Shaw, not Robbie Williams...."
Reluctantly, and somewhat sceptically, the Team Scribe writes it down.
"Right!" Calls out the Question Master. "Who wrote down 'Robbie Williams?!"
The other team raise their hands in triumph, shouting gleefully.
My team looks daggers at me.
"Well you're wrong!" he yells. The other team is stunned....
Then asks us, "Who did YOU put?"
"George Bernard Shaw"... hesitates our scribe.
"You just won the quiz!", replies the QM!
To be fair, they did give me credit. But it felt good....
Me and my girlfriend do pub trivia. Really enjoy it. And I understand the great thrill of getting a question right that no other team does to launch your score ahead.
Make it so.
The Dems not putting up a highly flawed candidate.
Oh......HI @vinlyn !!
You mean Bernie Sanders?
After Resident Rumpus Potass, the backlash will make Putin seem a viable pResident Evil . . .
Politics - toxic waste made manifest ...
Don't be so sure. The people I know here in Trumpland love having an arrogant, stupid, strongman in power. They have never learned critical thinking and have taken this militarized society and permanent war propaganda to heart. They truly believe what they have been told over the last 30 years and feel that democrats are traitorous by nature. It's really ugly here these days. I have no doubt that if Trump and the Supreme Court suspended elections, they would celebrate. This whole Trump thing started with right wing propaganda in the '80s and it's going to take a long time or a complete disaster to restore democracy. Well, at least what we called democracy before Reagan got elected. The Republicans have made perhaps the 2 greatest propaganda coups in US history. The first happened in the '80s. It was the "L word". Meaning liberals. They made, through right wing media repetition, being a liberal a feminine quality. The male blue collar dems vacated their party in droves because they didn't want to appear "un-manly". The 2nd one happened during the 1st war against Iraq. They came up with "I support the troops". Until then you could be against the war and it never would have occurred in anyone's mind that being against the war meant wanting harm to come to soldiers. But since then, if you are against the war, then you sure want your neighbor's son in the Marines to get blown away in the most horrible manner. Of course the Clinton take over of the Dem party blurred any remaining lines of difference between the 2 philosophies. Personally, I think the only way out of this is complete disaster. I don't see any other way and I just hope we don't take down the rest of the world with us. Those rich bastards have been striving to undo Roosevelt's New Deal since the '30s and this is what they gave us. - Well I got to get back to work. Got bills to pay. hahahahaha
I think economic slavery is probably the most pernicious danger out there. With every new, impressive innovation the assumption has always been that it will lead to new freedom and some “benefit” but in real terms it only seems to be benefitting the wealthy.
It seems to me that poor people have less job security, less chance of owning their own home, less free time and less real income now than in the 1970’s. It is a shambles.
Sometimes it is rightful/righteous anger. I do not lash out at trumplanders if I can help it because we are now dealing with a corrupting power grab. Politics USA.
Possible solution ... Dissolve The Union, pay your back taxes and become citizens of Her Majesty the Queen. No? Tsk, tsk ...
here to help